trip to FL

Discussion in 'East Florida' started by delawaredell, Jan 23, 2014.

  1. delawaredell

    delawaredell Well-Known Member

    183
    Nov 20, 2009
    I am taking a trip to visit my snowbird parents in Orlando from Friday through Monday. Saturday looks like a good day to catch some waves in Cocoa or Smyra. If someone is local and is planning to surf would mind PMing me some info I'd appreciate it. More than anything, where would be a good spot to rent a fiberglass board, and best tides for certain spots. I ride anything from a 5'6" to 9' log, and enjoy mush to barrels. Just looking to put a new notch on the surfing spot bedpost. Probably only go for 3-4 hours since I'm visiting family.
    Thanks, Pete
     
  2. Gilman Photography

    Gilman Photography Well-Known Member

    227
    Feb 21, 2012
    cocoa beach waves arent nearly as good as nsb or sebastian, waves are much better in new smyrna and heading to sebastian myself on saturday
     

  3. Losttsol

    Losttsol Well-Known Member

    517
    Feb 18, 2013
    It's a NNE swell, so Cocoa Beach will be very sheltered. I'd come across from Orlando on 192, straight into Indialantic and check there first if you're thinking of going south. You can rent boards a few places there. Longboard House being one of them.
     
  4. McLovin

    McLovin Well-Known Member

    985
    Jun 27, 2010
    There'll be some wrap in South Cocoa Beach. I surfed south of the pier on hard angled N swell, fun log waves.
     
  5. antoine

    antoine Well-Known Member

    Mar 10, 2013
    + 1^^^^^ low tide is best at this spot lots of breaks.
     
  6. sisurfdogg

    sisurfdogg Well-Known Member

    Jun 17, 2013
    I'm not a local in those parts, but from a visiting surfers perspective, NSB is better waves but more crowded and lots more talent in the water. Cocoa is more mellow. Playalinda or RCs could be the call on Saturday. RCs is easier to get to - Satellite Beach - and is a spread out lineup, and holds a good swell, but it is quite a paddle. I have never been to Playalinda but it is north of Cape Canaveral and is a long drive from anywhere. I hope you get better info from a local. Have fun.
     
  7. fl.surfdog

    fl.surfdog Well-Known Member

    Dec 6, 2010
    NSB is not going to be quite as big up there this weekend, so Satellite Beach southward all the way down to w.p.b. is going to be good, somebody mentioned Longboard House to rent a board, is your best bet, good people too. Its been pretty chilly here in the A.M. so bring a 3/2 wetty, or a long sleeve top with you.
     
  8. DawnPatrol321

    DawnPatrol321 Well-Known Member

    Mar 6, 2012
    Anywhere from Patrick's AFB to Sebastian Inlet is your best bet Saturday, there are shops every 5 feet with rentals
     
  9. fl.surfdog

    fl.surfdog Well-Known Member

    Dec 6, 2010
  10. delawaredell

    delawaredell Well-Known Member

    183
    Nov 20, 2009
    Thanks for the info guys. I did bring my 3/2, and based on what you're saying and tides, I'll hit it first thing in the morning. Probably will probably come straight east on 192 then head south and check the break like most of you recommended. Small chance I'll check out Playalinda; I usually like that kind of location.
    Now all I have to do is make sure the family plans don't conflict...
     
  11. sisurfdogg

    sisurfdogg Well-Known Member

    Jun 17, 2013
    When you head back to Orlando from you session, don't do it as the sun goes down or you'll have the sun in your eyes the whole way back. The drive sucks bad enough during normal daylight hours. And if anyone plans to head south to northern Palm Beach County on Saturday, let me know, I have a few spots dialed up. The water is 74 degrees.
     
  12. Losttsol

    Losttsol Well-Known Member

    517
    Feb 18, 2013
    Playalinda can be a great spot, but it's not really the type of place you just check if you're pressed for time. You're either surfing there or not, because it's in the middle of nowhere and takes a while to get to.
     
  13. delawaredell

    delawaredell Well-Known Member

    183
    Nov 20, 2009
    Nobody mentioned that none of the shops open until 9 or 10. In indialantic, going to Cocoa Ron Jon's.
     
  14. bilthy

    bilthy Well-Known Member

    53
    Oct 26, 2012
    you can also come over on 520, check cocoa beach, then south on 1A1 through pafb, satellite beach, down to sebastian.
     
  15. delawaredell

    delawaredell Well-Known Member

    183
    Nov 20, 2009
    For future reference, hardly anything is open in this area until 9 or 10am. I ended up going to Ron Jon to rent a board (which is a 24hr shop). Surf was waist at Tables, with a few bigger waves throughout the morning, but definitely glad I checked the surf and rented a log. Got a few waves and had a few good conversations with some local surfers.
     
  16. sisurfdogg

    sisurfdogg Well-Known Member

    Jun 17, 2013
    The first time I ever went to Ron Jons was with my wife and kid during a Kidney Foundation Easter Surf Contest. It was late evening, their was fireworks off the Pier, then we went inside to buy stuff. A band was playing Beach Boys and other surf music inside the shop on the second floor, and it was one of the most awesome surf shopping experiences i have ever had.

    Glad you had fun. Did you happen to run into a guy with a white van giving away free surfboards?
     
  17. wavehog1

    wavehog1 Well-Known Member

    382
    Sep 20, 2013
    Cocoa actually faces southeast so wintertime swells aren't usually the best. Swells from the southeast like from storms and hurricanes are what hit Cocoa. Not to say you can't catch a few little decent ones. New Smyrna and Ponce (north side of the Inlet from NSB) are going to be your best chances. Probably the most consistent on the entire east coast! Best bet is to get there early though, if there are any decent waves the crowd of locals is going to be thick! At NSB there are several breaks and you can surf a little south of the Inlet to catch less of a crowd. If the swell is bigger than 2' - 3' you should be able to surf all the way down the beach.

    Sebastian is really sweet in the winter because the water is about 10 degrees warmer than NSB/Daytona etc... Problem is catching it at just the right time. Yes they get lots of swells this time of year however most cold fronts we get that come down seem to always stall right about the Sebastian line and where the cold front stalls it meets the warm caribbean air and really creates a good heavy wind thru there.

    As the forecast stands now.... NSB should be fun Thursday and actually Sebastian looks like chest high + for late Friday into Saturday and Sunday. Winds don't look to bad Friday and early Saturday but is showing to pick up at about 20+ mph on Sunday. Once again due to cold front coming thru and looks like its going to park around Sebastian.

    Thursday and Friday maybe a possibility for Cocoa. If you are thinking of heading to Sebastian get off a few exits early and check out Cocoa.

    Good luck, hope you score and hope we have some decent waves this week!
     
  18. yankee

    yankee Well-Known Member

    Sep 26, 2008
    It was closed out most of the morning on Saturday. Had hoped the 2pm high tide would push something better, but not. It was illusory: looking good as it propped up on that outer bar, then soft-cocking mush in the trough, then quickly pushing up again only to closeout hard in the shore pound.

    I was at Tables, too. Obviously. Saturday from 12-ish to 3pm or so. It was horrendous.
    Reminded me of a really lousy post-noreaster day at AI, when there's swell & clean lines coming in but the bars were all wacked out & not lined up.

    Early in the morning there were a few sections south of Cocoa Pier, with 25+ guys floating 9'8 longboards on it. After that......blech.

    Will vouch that there are some cool dudes in FLA, like you I also had decent convo with 'em while we all hoped for better in the ocean. One particular guy at Tables, cool dude, was standing in the slop with his super-short Dwart or LaZBoy and he was outstanding: doing 360's & he made something out of not much at all.
     
    Last edited: Jan 28, 2014
  19. DawnPatrol321

    DawnPatrol321 Well-Known Member

    Mar 6, 2012
    Dude, we just missed each other, and I believe you missed the goods by a couple hours. I was there at sunrise till about 11, was inconsistent but really fun when they came through, I went back later on to find it flat, was a small window that day but during that window I caught some solid long rides, some decent size on some of them too. Too bad we didn't run into each other Yank, shoot me a line next time you're in the area.